Improvement in rocking-sled propellers



J. WIARDA.

Rocking Sled Propeller.

Patented Dec 16 1862.

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N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D c

UNITED STATES PATENT .EEICE.

JOHN WIARDA, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROCKING-SLED PROPELLEPLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,191, dated Decemberl6, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WVIARDA, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudsonand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Rocking-SledPropeller; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention.Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to employ the rocking motion of the seatfor the purpose of propelling a sled.

The invention consists in the arrangement of one or more pointed feethinged to the under surface of the rocking seat of a sled suspended froma pivot or pivots in such a manner that by imparting to said seat anoscillat' ing or rocking motion the feet are alternately depressed onthe ground in an inclined direction, so as to propel the sled, andraised for a fresh hold, and thereby a considerable velocity can beimparted to the sled witha comparatively small exertion of the person orpersons occupying the seat.

It consists, further, in the arrangement of two working-beams incombination with the hinged pointed feet with the rocking seat and witha foot-board in such a manner that the person operating the seat canexert a direct power in propelling the sled by pressing his feet on thefoot-board and his back against the back of the seat, and by these meansthe sled can be propelled over rough or uneven surfaces if it should bedesired.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A represents the seat, which is suspended from two pivots, a, which havetheir bearin gs in from standards B, rising from sleigh-runners O. Theseat is made of wood or any other suitable material, and the pivots aproject from the middle of its sides near to their upper edges, so thata person sitting in the seat can rock conveniently backward and forward.The runners G are connected in front of the seat by a cross-bar, b,which also serves as a foot-board, and in the rear by a cross-bar, c,and the standards I) are of such a height that the person sitting in theseat can conveniently reach the foot board.

D represents a frame, which is hinged to the under surface of the seatnear to its front edge by means of pivots and lugs, or in any otherdesirable manner. This frame ends in two pointed feet, 01 d, and it isof such a length that it stands in an inclined position when the feettouch the ground, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. If arocking motion is imparted to the seat and the front edge of the samerises, the feet (I d slide on the ground in a forward direction, and ifnow the front edge of the seat descends again, the points of the feetcatch in the ice or snow, and the sled is propelled in the direction ofthe arrow marked on the runners in Fig. 1.

In propelling the sled by the feet 01 d the weight of the person orpersons occupying the seat acts as propelling-power, and if this weightis not heavy enough to overcome the friction of the runners on theground the for ward motion of the sled stops.

E represents a frame similar to the frame D. This frame is suspendedfrom the lower ends of two working-beams, F, which are secured to arock-shaft, f, and it terminates in two pointed feet, 0, which extenddown to the ground in an inclined position, as clearly shown in Fig. 1of the drawings. The upper ends of the workingbeams F connect by meansof rods 9 with the seat A, and these connecting-rods are attached to theworkingbeams by pivots h and to the seat by pivots i, so that they canreadily adapt themselves to the varying positions of the seat. If anoscillating or rocking motion is imparted to the seat, and when the sameswings in the direction of arrow 1, marked on it in Fig. 1, theworking-beam is thrown in the direction of arrow 2, and the feet 6 e aredrawn forward over the ground; but if the seat swings in the directionopposite to the arrow 1, the workingbeams are moved in the directionopposite to arrow 2, and the feet 0 e are forced backward, so that theycatch in the ice or snow, and thereby the sled is propelled. During thismotion the person occupying the seat can exert a direct force on thefeet 6 e by placing his or her feet on the foot board and the backagainst the back of the seat, and in this way the sled can be forcedover obstructions or up hill on places where the weight of the personoccupying the seat, as the same acts on the feet at 01, would be unableto produce a forward motion of the sled.

By the combined action of the feet d d e e a very rapid motion canbeimparted to the sled with comparatively little exertion of theoperator, and if it becomes necessary or desirable to exert an extrapower in propelling the sled over a rough or uneven surface the operatorhas it in his power to apply the same withadvantage to the feet e e.

A simple oontrivance, such as two tines placed in the foot-board so thatthey can be alternately or simultaneously depressed in the ground,maybeapplied to serve as a steeringgear or for the purpose of stopping theprogress of the sled.

The whole device is very simple in its con- 2. The arrangement ofworking-beams F,

in combination with the hinged pointed feet 6 e, and with therockingseatA and foot-board b of a, sled constructed and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN WIARDA. Witnesses:

TIMOTHY SHINE, M. S. PARTRIDGE.

